Plastic shutter and mounting clamp therefor

ABSTRACT

Disclosed herein is a shutter construction and mounting clamp therefor with the shutter having elongated vertically oriented channel members which are hat shaped in cross section. The outturned flanges on the channel members enable the channel members to be sonically welded to the margin of the shutter. The channel members enable the shutter to be fastened to a building wall with screws, mounting clips or panel adhesive. The mounting clamps disclosed herein have a barb construction for receiving and retaining the channel members on the shutters and securely anchoring the shutters to the building wall.

lllte States at [191 Rice [ Mar.4, 1975 1 PLASTIC SHUTTER AND MOUNTINGCLAMP THEREFOR [75] Inventor: Donald A. Bice, Brookfield, Wis.

[73] Assignee: Benson Mfg. Corporation,

Menomonee Falls, Wis.

[22] Filed: June 4, 1973 [21] Appl. No.: 366,882

[52] US. Cl. 52/473, 52/511 [51] Int. Cl E061) 7/08 [58] Field of Search52/473, 506, 511, 476,

[5 6] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,553,686 9/1953 Routt52/511 X 2,898,258 8/1959 Meier et 211. c. 3.238.686 3/1966 Pomeroy3.341.994 9/1967 Olson 52/512 X 3,438,169 4/1969 Tinnerman 52/543 X3,584,427 6/1971 Johnston 52/473 3,717,955 2/1973 Urbanick 52/309 X3,727,361 4/1973 Greene 52/473 3,782,051 1/1974 Quinif 52/314 X PrimaryE.ranzinerPrice C. Faw, Jr. Attorney, Agent, or FirmHenry C. Fuller 57ABSTRACT Disclosed herein is a shutter construction and mounting clamptherefor with the shutter having elongated vertically oriented channelmembers which are hat shaped in cross section. The out-turned flanges onthe channel members enable the channel members to be sonically welded tothe margin of the shutter. The channel members enable the shutter to befastened to a building wall with screws, mounting clips or paneladhesive. The mounting clamps disclosed herein have a barb constructionfor receiving and retaining the channel members on the shutters andsecurely anchoring the shutters to the building wall.

2 Claims, 4 Drawing Figures PLASTIC SHUTTER AND MOUNTING CLAMP THEREFORSUMMARY OF INVENTION The invention relates to a one-piece molded plasticshutter which can include central louvered panel sections which extendto marginal sections that have a peripheral flange. The inventionrelates to longitudinal channel portions which are hat shaped in crosssection with out-turned flanges which are accessible for the purpose ofsonically welding the channel members to the marginal shutter sectionsand provide a unitized assembly of the shutter and channel members. Thechannel members extend over a substantial portion of the length of theshutter and in addition to rigidifying the shutter. are employed forfastening purposes.

The invention also provides a mounting clamp which has a web with a pairof spaced legs adapted to receive the channel members. The clamps havean aperture so that the clamps can be mounted with a suitable fastenerto a building wall prior to the assembly of the shutter on the wall. Thelegs of the clamp have outwardly diverging terminal portions which arehinged to the leg portions by narrow bands of metal. The terminalportions have inwardly extending barbs which grasp and securely retainthe channel members to the clamp.

Further objects, features and advantages of the invention will becomeapparent from the following dis closure.

DRAWINGS FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a shutter employing themounting clips of the invention.

FIG. 2 is a fragmentary enlarged perspective view showing the rear ofthe shutter of FIG. 1 and showing the mounting channel member andmounting clip.

FIG. 3 is a sectional view of the mounting channel member and mountingclip shown in FIG. 2.

FIG. 4 is a sectional view showing the shutter assembled to the mountingclip.

DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENT Although the disclosure hereof isdetailed and exact to enable those skilled in the art to practice theinvention. the physical embodiments herein disclosed merely exemplifythe invention which may be embodied in other specific structure. Thescope of the invention is defined in the claims appended hereto.

In the drawings, FIG. 1 discloses a shutter generally designated whichincludes central panels 12 which can be in the form ofsimulated louvers.The shutter in cludes vertical marginal sections 14 and horizontalmarginal sections 16 and 18. The marginal sections have flanges 20 and22 which form a continuous periphery for the shutter. As thus fardescribed, the shutter can be of a one-piece plastic moldedconstruction.

In accordance with the invention, the shutter is pro vided withelongated mounting channel members 26 which as best shown in FIG. 2extend for a substantial portion of the vertical extent of the shutter10. The channel members 26 are generally rectangular in cross section asshown in FIG. 3 and include out-turned flanges 30 to thus provide ahat-shaped appearance.

The out-turned flanges enable the channel members to be sonically weldedor otherwise secured at 32 and 34 in longitudinal seams along theflanges to securely unite the channel members 26 to the rear surface 33of the marginal shutter sections 14. The channel members 26 serve as amounting base for screws which can extend through apertures (not shown)in the marginal sections 14, apertures (not shown) in the webs 42 andinto the wall 48.

Alternatively, the shutter 10 can be fastened to the wall with mountingclamps 40, each of which includes a web portion 42 (FIG. 2) and twospaced leg portions 44 and 46 which extend from the web portion 42. Theleg portions 44 and 46 extend outwardly from the building wall 48 asshown in FIG. 3. The leg portions are spaced to receive the channelmember 26. The channel member 26 is securely retained in the clamp 40 byterminal portions 50 which are hinged to the legs by narrow connectingportions or bands 52 which enable the terminal portions to displace asthe channel member 26 is inserted in the clamp. Barb portions 54extending inwardly from the connecting portions 52 securely anchor thechannel in the clamp.

The web portion 42 extends past the leg portions and can be providedwith an aperture 56 so that the clamp can be premounted on the buildingwall 48 with an appropriate fastener 58.

What is claimed is:

l. A plastic shutter construction comprising a panel section includingmarginal frame sections having a peripheral flange, elongated mountingchannel members fixed to a rear surface of said marginal sections andprojecting inwardly from the marginal sections toward the buildingstructure to which the shutter is to be fastened, said channel membershaving a generally rectangular cross section with outturned flangessecured to the marginal sections of the shutter by sonic weldmentsbetween abutting surfaces of said flange and said marginal sectionsincluding mounting clamps adapted to engage said channel members, saidmounting clamps including a web portion and two upstanding leg portions,terminal portions which diverge outwardly from said leg portions, saidterminal portions including barbs which extend inwardly into the gapdefined by the leg portions for rigidly grasping and securing said clampto said channel member, and connecting portions hingedly connecting saidterminal portions with said leg portions intermediate the width of theterminal portions, said connecting portions having a width less than thewidth of said legs and the width of said terminal portions to affordoutwad displacement of said terminal portions to admit said channelmembers.

2. A clamping device for securing a shutter to a building wallcomprising a web portion adapted to abut the wall surface and having anaperture for fastening said web portion to the building structure,upstanding leg portions connected to said web and adapted to extendoutwardly from the building wall, terminal portions which divergeoutwardly from said leg portions to provide a throat for receiving aportion of the shutter and said terminal portions including inwardlyprojecting barbs adapted to engage and retain the portion of the shutterreceived between said legs, and connecting portions hingedly connectingsaid terminal portions with said leg portions intermediate the width ofthe terminal portions, said connecting portions having a width less thanthe width of said legs and the width of said terminal portions to affordoutward displacement of said terminal portions to admit said channelmembers.

1. A plastic shutter construction comprising a panel section includingmarginal frame sections having a peripheral flange, elongated mountingchannel members fixed to a rear surface of said marginal sections andprojecting inwardly from the marginal sections toward the buildingstructure to which the shutter is to be fastened, said channel membershaving a generally rectangular cross section with outturned flangessecured to the marginal sections of the shutter by sonic weldmentsbetween abutting surfaces of said flange and said marginal sectionsincluding mounting clamps adapted to engage said channel members, saidmounting clamps including a web portion and two upstanding leg portions,terminal portions which diverge outwardly from said leg portions, saidterminal portions including barbs which extend inwardly into the gapdefined by the leg portions for rigidly grasping and securing said clampto said channel member, and connecting portions hingedly connecting saidterminal portions with said leg portions intermediate the width of theterminal portions, said connecting portions having a width less than thewidth of said legs and the width of said terminal portions to affordoutwad displacement of said terminal portions to admit said channelmembers.
 2. A clamping device for securing a shutter to a building wallcomprising a web portion adapted to abut the wall surface and having anaperture for fastening said web portion to the building structure,upstanding leg portions connected to said web and adapted to extendoutwardly from the building wall, terminal portions which divergeoutwardly from said leg portions to provide a throat for receiving aportion of the shutter and said terminal portions including inwardlyprojecting barbs adapted to engage and retain the portion of the shutterreceived between said legs, and connecting portions hingedly connectingsaid terminal portions with said leg portions intermediate the width ofthe terminal portions, said connecting portions having a width less thanthe width of said legs and the width of said terminal portions to affordoutward displacement of said terminal portions to admit said channelmembers.